Eggs for Everest: One Woman's Dream

Eggs for Everest: One Woman's Dream

Eleanor Roosevelt once said: The future belongs to thosewho believe in the beauty of their dreams.

How true that statement is, and it is a message I share with audiences around the world when I speak: Our dreams - those seemingly unreachable goals in all of our lives - are the catalyst, the fuel which drives us forward, over self-imposed obstacles and on to a better understanding of what we, as individuals, are truly capable of achieving in our lives.

Tusi Das, a 25 year old young woman from the poverty-stricken slums of Kolkata (Calcutta), India, is a shining example of following one's dreams even when the path to the top seems unbelievably steep and difficult.

A budding climber whose interest in the sport was sparked by climbing artificial walls in her home city, Tusi has done quite a bit of climbing in recent years through courses offered by the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering(NIM). The courses, from basic rock-climbing in Uttaranchal Pradesh to a 22-day search and rescue course at Uttarkashi, gave her a baseline of skills...and proved her ability to continue climbing.

Last August, Tusi climbed 21,000 foot Menthosa Peak in Himachal Pradesh as a member of an 8 person team from the Indian Mountaineering Foundation; only Tusi and two others managed to reach the summit.

But now the biggest climb begins: Tusi wants to go to Mount Everest. To do so, though, she needs to raise INR 7 lakh (roughly $17,600) - a big sum in any country, but a monumental one for a poor street merchant in Kolkata.

But Tusi is undaunted. She believes in her dreams and is determined to follow them. "If necessary I will take a bank loan to accomplishmy mission," she said.

(see article in The Times of India)

So, with a financial mountain to climb and a courageous, never-say-never spirit, Tusi wakes up at the crack of dawn each morning and carries her crates of eggs down the twisted alleyways of Kolkata to the bazaar near her home in Dumdum Park. There Tusi sits, hour after hour, selling eggs to shoppers and adding each penny to her dream bank.

Since eggs sell for about $0.03 each in India, Tusi has a bunch to sell...586,666 of them, in fact, to reach her target.

But, she's determined and optimistic and willing to make some sacrifices and endure tough times to reach her goal.

So, from one Everest climber to a future Everest climber, I say: Good luck, Tusi...Climb high, climb strong, don't give up, and see you soon...on the mountain!

For Tusi, and for all of us who dream - and turn our dreams into action - a few inspirational words:

The only death you die is the one you die daily by notliving. Dream big and dare to fail.
    - Norman Vaughn 

Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it.Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.
    - Goethe

Somehow I can't believe that there are any heights thatcan't be scaled by a man who knows the secrets of making dreams come true. Thisspecial secret, it seems to me, can be summarized in four Cs. They arecuriosity, courage, and constancy, and the greatest of all is confidence. Whenyou believe in a thing, believe in it all the way, implicitly andunquestionably.
    - Walt Disney

- Jake Norton is an Everest climber, guide, photographer, writer, and motivational speaker from Colorado.